The recent availability of inexpensive liquid crystal televisions has led to experimenting with these devices as coherent spatial light modulators. The basic principle behind the operation of the Liquid Crystal Television (LCTV) is somewhat similar to that of the Hughes Liquid Crystal Light Valve (LCLV) which have been used for some time as incoherent to coherent image converters in real-time pattern recognition systems. The 90.degree. twisted nematic liquid crystal structure is common to both the LCTV and the transmission type LCLV. A major difference in the two devices is the method of addressing. The LCLV is optically addressed (with coherent or incoherent light), while the LCTV must be electrically addressed. Both techniques have their advantages.